Fantasy World Cup Preview Group C

Fantasy World Cup Preview Group C

GROUP C: COLOMBIA, GREECE, IVORY COAST, JAPAN
Our World Cup previews continue at a pace and we would like to extend a very warm welcome and thank you to Calvin Clyne as he gives us his take on Group C, the teams involved, which players you should pick and who is likely to progress.

Some of you will have registered already but if not the site that we are using for this years game is Mcdonalds Fantasy World Cup, you can register here. You can register now and you can begin to pick your squad from June 8th ahead of the big kick-off on June 12th. We will publish the FF247 league codes as soon as the league option is open on there. In the meantime we encourage you to plan ahead and as such here’s Group C for you all…

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Colombia
Overview
In their first World Cup since the ’90s, Colombia will feel they have a lot to prove here. Up to 5th in the FIFA rankings (take from that what you will, but generally you don’t get to be a top seed by mistake), they will look to take advantage of playing in their home continent when many other teams could struggle with the heat. Gone are the huge afros and scorpion kicks of yesteryear, replaced by a strong series of results and attractive attacking play. With the under-20s continental champions, there is a strong sense of belief and footballing pride currently in Colombia, and all eyes will be on the senior team to deliver; do not expect them to disappoint.

Fantasy player perspective
Colombia’s star man Radamel Falcao tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in January and has only very recently began training again. Included in the provisional squads for the WC though it is hoped he will be declared fit in time. While he will probably be lacking match fitness and may only feature as a substitute during the group stages, when fully fit there are few that can touch him. If unwilling to take a risk on Falcao then Teofilo Gutierrez is coach Pekerman’s other go-to striker, and could be well worth a punt in the group stage at least.

Internazionale’s Fredy Guarin could be a key player, though his appearances during qualifying were inexplicably limited. If handed a start in their opening game then he could well be one to keep an eye on and transfer in afterwards. Falcao’s Monaco team-mate James Rodriguez is also another good option, offering solid potential returns from the wing.

Defence is probably their weakest area; while favoured central duo Luis Perea and Mario Yepes have a ton of experience playing together, they are also getting on in years (aged 35 and 38 respectively). Their lack of pace was highlighted in two of the final qualifying group games against Chile and Uruguay, where they shipped 5 goals unconvincingly. Unfortunately we feel that this also makes the full-backs’ prospects less appealing, but if you fancy a Colombian defender then we recommend Napoli’s Camilo Zuniga.

Fixtures
It is doubtful that their first match against miserly Greece will be a goal-fest, but instead perhaps use this opportunity to gauge the apparent first 11 – is Falcao fit yet? Is Guarin handed a starting slot? If the answer to either of these is yes, then you may look at bringing them in for their second match against main group rivals Ivory Coast; the African team’s attacking play should result in a more open game with the Colombian forwards given more opportunities to score points. Their final match is against Japan, who at this stage may have nothing left to play for other than national pride.

*As a final note, for any other questions on Colombia’s prospects then why not ask FF247’s resident Colombian, Mito, who can often be found lurking around the boards!

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Ivory Coast
Overview
Awash with familiar players from the Premier League, both past and present, Ivory Coast lead Africa’s charge in Brazil and will be most peoples’ bet to join Colombia in the last 16. Failing to progress past the group stage in their previous 2 World Cup campaigns, but reaching the final of the African Cup of Nations in 2006 and 2012, they will be hoping to finally emulate their continental success on the global stage.

Fantasy player perspective
Cote d’Ivoire’s two hottest fantasy prospects need no introducing, but, inevitably after saying that, here is their introduction anyway: Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure. Their exploits in significantly helping Chelsea and Man City respectively win trophies are well documented, not to mention their fine work at other clubs too. Leave these players out of your team at your peril, especially Drogba, who has 63 goals in 99 international appearances. It has been suggested that the Galatasaray forward will not get too much game time being aged 36, but Ivory Coast’s talismanic player will hope to put in one final shift for his World Cup swansong. And anyone that left out Yaya during this season’s FPL will know how disastrous that can be! If you still have room left in your team, you may also want to consider Saloman Kalou and Wilfried Bony, the latter having spent the second half of the season knocking goals in for fun for Swansea.

Their defence has an average age in the 30s, but if you think that experience and wisdom will overcome creaking joints and shortness of breath then Didier Zokora and Kolo-brother-of-Yaya are your best bets.

Fixtures
Japan are up first for Yaya and crew, which – on paper at least – is a nice game to ease themselves into the tournament with. While nevertheless capable of an upset, we expect Ivory Coast’s greater physical presence and strength in depth will prove telling. Next up is the most hotly anticipated match of the group, where they face Colombia. With no clear-cut favourite emerging from group D, the importance of topping group C is somewhat diminished, so do not be surprised to see a less tightly-fought encounter; with both teams wishing to ensure progression a draw could well be on the cards. Finally, the African outfit play former European Champions Greece, who do not concede goals without a fight. There is likely to be decent possession and territory but few chances here.

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Greece
Overview
Do not be too quick to write off the Greeks; remember Euro 2004? They progressed to the second round with just 4 points from the group stage, and it is not inconceivable that they could do something similar again here. Although failing to remotely match their European success in the 2 subsequent World Cups, the desire and passion going into this campaign could well be fuelled by the unfortunate events that have been going on in the country recently, and this could galvanise both the team and supporters. Potential dark horses of Group C?

Fantasy player perspective
It is safe to say that Greece is a team stronger in defence than in attack, only conceding 4 goals in 10 games in the group stage of qualifying. With two goalkeepers to select for your squads, and the possibility of more if you choose to use one or two of your five additional squad places, Orestis Karnezis could be a shrewd investment in the short-term if paired with a wiser long-term option. Although not expected to make it past the group stages, there are few other teams present that are as defensively minded as the Greeks. This could lead to frustrated shots from well outside of the box and, with a point per save, Karnezis could rack up a nice tally in their three opening games.

While probably not the smartest idea to double up on Greek defenders due to the lack of attacking returns they offer, a cheap Greek defender and goalkeeper combo could be on the cards for many.Vasilis Torosidis is our main tip from the Greek defence; the versatile Roma defender is known for regularly roving forwards and has 7 international goals so far. He is also occasionally being played out of position, which is the fantasy football holy grail! Other solid options are central pair Avraam Papadopoulos and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

Now it is worth noting that in those same 10 aforementioned games only 12 goals were scored, as opposed to 30 by group winners Bosnia. Seasoned players like Giorgos Karagounis and Giorgos Samaras are not expected to offer many returns going forward.

Fixtures
Thrown in at the deep-end, the Greeks face Colombia first of all. This will be a difficult test of their defensive capabilities, but if they can sneak a draw they will find themselves in a good position going into their next fixture against Japan. As their must-win game in order to make it to the knock-out phase, they could well open up somewhat. Finally they will play Ivory Coast in a game that may decide who joins Columbia in the next round. Their level of attacking intent will likely depend on whether a win or draw is required.

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Japan
Overview
They are the only team from outside of the Americas to have played in the Copa America, back in 1999, and had they been able to accept their 2011 invitation as well it could have been invaluable experience for the current crop of players to have played in that climate (they declined due to the tsunami tragedy). One of the strongest Asian representatives, winning 4 of the last 6 AFC Asian Cups and advancing past the group stages of the WCs in 2002 and 2010, do not expect Japan to just roll over in this group. Having said that, they still represent the most likely source of maximum points for the other teams.

Fantasy player perspective
Japan have the 2nd highest capped outfield player at the tournament in the form of Yasuhito Endo, and, while he can’t often play the full 90 any more, the galvanising effect he has on the team when on the field is so significant it has been dubbed ‘Endo time’. This bodes well for the other attacking talent in the team, and players such as Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda and Man Utd’s own Shinji Kagawa are all good picks if placed in the mid-price bracket. On their day they are capable of scoring against any opposition – they scored 2 against Netherlands and 3 against Belgium in friendlies last year.

Conceding 8 goals in 14 qualifying matches, there are certainly leakier defences at the tournament, and you could do worse than selecting any one of Yuto Nagatomo, Atsuto Uchida or Southampton’s Maya Yoshida if you are looking to save funds for elsewhere in your team. Bear in mind though that the opposition here will threaten the Japanese goal significantly more than the likes of Tajikistan (beaten 8-0) and Jordan (beaten 6-0) from qualifying.

Fixtures
Playing Ivory Coast first will be an immediate test of Japan’s resolve. If they can survive the physicality of the opposition here then they could well go on and cause an upset. Next up is their must-win game against fellow outsiders Greece, before their final group outing where they face Colombia. While probably more likely to concede against Ivory Coast and Colombia than Greece are, they are also more likely to score, leading to a potentially very interesting dynamic of contrasting styles as both teams look to secure their tickets to the second round.

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Group Summary
The winner of Group C will play the runner-up of Group D, and conversely the runner-up of Group C will play the winner of Group D. As already alluded to, this is probably less significant than in other groups where teams will not want to end up playing the likes of Brazil in the second round so will really want to top their own group. However, 1st and 2nd place in Group D are likely to fall to two of Uruguay, England and Italy, with it being tricky to call and not much to choose between said teams. For you soothsayers out there though, or indeed anyone that has an inkling on how Group D’s fortunes will progress, you may want to bear this in mind as they will be the next opponents for any players you have selected from the teams highlighted in this article. Obrigado e joga bonito!

Thanks for reading Fantasy World Cup Preview Group C this article was written by Calvin Clyne